Discount Wedding Flowers

David Austin Garden Roses

I am all about giving my brides what they want. Right now, those gorgeous David Austin garden roses look fabulous and (if Pinterest is any gauge) are one of the hottest flowers in demand lately. All the same, however, is my desire to be open and honest with every DIY bride that buys flowers from me.

Garden roses are a fairly "new" breed of flowers compared to the traditional tea rose that everyone is familiar with. Tea roses have had years of breeding in order to get lovely blooms that have a long life span.

Garden roses (in my opinion) do NOT have a long life span. They are very pricey . . but it is hard to guarantee freshness because of their short life. Some popular online flower wholesalers recommend that garden roses be ordered three days in advance of the wedding date.

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE ORDERING ONLINE FLOWERS!

That makes me cringe a little. Professional florists generally receive their flowers from their wholesale distributor and their flowers usually come with the "cold chain" (meaning the flowers are refrigerated from the time they leave the wholesale packing farms to the distributor) until they reach the florist's own shop. Delicate flowers like Lily of the Valley and Garden Roses have a hard time maintaining quality if they travel in a warm FedEx (or other delivery carriers) truck for very long.

The part that concerns me is that you must immediately notify them within 24 hours. What if they are beautiful upon arrival but are wilting on the morning of your wedding? These flowers generally arrive from South America to the U.S. in Miami, Florida. If you happen to be in . . uh, say Michigan - think of the miles that those flowers have to ride in a warm (non-refrigerated) truck.

Remember what I said about reading the fine print?

So if Customs delay their packages to you from coming into the United States . . . it's your fault and they aren't liable for the shipments?

This troubles me. I ship out of United States wholesalers - they are the ones who guarantee the product to me, so I can guarantee the product to you.

I point these types of problems out to my brides because I have to have similar claim instructions on my own flower deliveries. The difference is that I've learned to call a bride directly when she places an order for Garden roses. I like to make it very clear to her the nature of the flower and how important it is to get those flowers the day before her wedding AND hydrate and refrigerate them immediately upon opening!

As much as I would like to make a sale, I do not care for the idea of spoiling a bride's wedding day if her flowers should wilt three days after arrival. This bride did everything right, but had to keep them in a very cool dark room instead of refrigeration. They were gorgeous upon arrival . . but began to wilt before the wedding day. When she called me, I didn't shrug my shoulders and say "Oh, well - you didn't notify me that there were any problems when you got the flowers!" Instead, I called a wholesaler located near to her and let her go choose new replacement flowers.

That is why I now insist that before that before I will guarantee Garden roses that the bride must understand that the those particular roses have to arrive shortly before her wedding and be processed properly and refrigerated immediately. All designs containing the roses MUST be kept refrigerated and she must show a picture of the roses in refrigeration before I'll replace the roses.

I don't want my brides to have the heartache of her flowers going bad right before the wedding day, so I try to be very clear even if it costs me a sale. I care about my brides and want their wedding day to be as perfect as I can get it.

Wholesale flower sites often require large minimums when you place your order. Be sure to price and compare and READ THE FINE PRINT. I sell flowers in single bunches so the DIY bride can mix and match and not blow her whole flower budget on one flower variety. I also sell greenery in single bunches as well. How can you save if you are forced to buy way more than you need? They claim "free shipping" - but actually build the shipping costs into the flower price in the form of volume buying.

I try to price flower reasonable and provide everything else you need (flower sealants, rehydrators, bouquet holders and more) so you can have a "one stop shopping" for all your flower needs in one place. Can't find it on my store? Contact me. I ship out of one of the largest floral wholesalers in the United States. I'll do my best to find what you need.

David Austin garden roses have become a symbol of gorgeous wedding flowers. The numerous petals, wide open face and soft colors can create a beautiful focal point of any bridal bouquet!